Poland’s Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that his country would not agree to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union if Kyiv does not stop honoring a number of historical figures,
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Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Photo: AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski
During the conversation, the official noted that Ukraine will face serious problems on its path to joining the European Union if it continues to use OUN and UPA as national symbols.
“We (in the EU) should not elevate those who destroy European cooperation. With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union. No one will tell us how to vote regarding the accession of one country or another to the European Union,” he said.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also agreed with the opinion that there are allegedly forces in Kyiv that do not want Ukraine to become a member of the European Union.
Additionally, he noted that every country applying for EU membership must meet strict requirements, including those concerning historical memory. According to him, cooperation within the European Union cannot be built on respect for individuals or movements that cause pain, rejection, and spread falsehoods about neighboring countries.
In late May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree naming one of the units “Heroes of UPA.”
After this, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, after which mutual refusals of state awards began between the Ukrainian and Polish sides.
Against this backdrop, the leader of the Polish “Law and Justice” party, Jarosław Kaczyński, called on Warsaw to block new rounds of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
Also, poll results were published recently, according to which the majority of Polish citizens oppose Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.